Falling
by Suzfleeg
Summary: Lady Evelyn Trevelyan and Sir Cullen Rutherford, aka Noodles, and their story of mischief and romance. I will try to update every day, but you know- life, etc. Please feel free to comment! I would love to hear any thoughts or comments. I would also love to hear your take on any events from my story- cannon or not :)
1. Chapter 1

Evelyn was falling, falling, falling. She felt her feet hit the ground followed by her knees. She gasped at the pain in her legs, then at the pain in her hand. She looked at it and it was glowing with an eerie green light. Light, light headed, world spinning. She knew she was just doing something important but she couldn't think through the fog billowing through her mind. She must have fallen over because her face was in something soft, cold- snow. She moaned as the pain in her hand tore through her body again and she curled up into a ball around the throbbing limb. She heard a crunch in the snow and saw the glint of that same emerald light off of a sliver boot. There was someone talking- to her? She couldn't make out any words- they all sounded so far away. She felt herself being picked up into someone's arms and carried to some unknown destination. The last thing she experienced before passing out again was gold and silver and the low rumble of voices.

...

Cullen was outnumbered. By a lot. He had only ten remaining men with him, many of whom were limping and bleeding, barely able to stand. There were at least a dozen demons circling them like vultures waiting for death, and more were sure to come. One lashed out at him with sharp claws but he bashed it with his shield, stunning it for a precious few seconds while he gathered his strength in his right arm and dove his sword up to the hilt in the demon's chest. It screeched and withered to the ground. His other men were fighting like trapped animals. They wouldn't last much longer like this. _Andraste preserve us_.

Suddenly there was a whirl and a thunk right next to his ear. Cullen spun around with lightning speed to face whatever demon was attacking him. He lunged with his sword and hit… a shield? _Since when do demons use shields?_ Cassandra peeked around her shield at Cullen with annoyance.

"We are supposed to be fighting the demons, not each other," she told him with an arched brow.

Relief flooded over him as he looked from Cassandra to the reinforcements she brought with her.

"Well thank the Maker you are on our side," He said with a smirk.

"You should be thanking me, since I just saved you from that demon," Cassandra replied with the hint of a smile on her lips.

Their reprieve was short lived as the rift sparked and started spewing out more demons. Cassandra, Cullen, and their men ripped through the demons easily and headed toward the rift to better inspect it before another round of demons appeared.

"Have you found any survivors?" Cassandra said, glancing around the perimeter.

"No survivors, but plenty of bodies," Cullen replied solemnly.

Just then, the rift sparked again but no demons appeared. Cullen shifted his stance uneasily, waiting to slash whatever was thrown at them.

"NO!" A woman's voice screamed.

Cullen glanced at Cassandra who just shrugged her shoulders.

That was when a woman fell out of the rift at their feet. Stunned, Cullen didn't move. The woman landed on her feet which gave out and sunk to her knees. He had been around demons plenty of times to know that they could change their appearance so he still kept his sword drawn as he cautiously walked toward her. There was a bright green ember of light on her palm that made him even wearier of her. The strange woman's hand suddenly burst into a brighter bloom and she fell to her side a yelped at the pain.

Cullen sheathed his sword but gave a look to Cassandra who nodded at him and followed with her sword still drawn. The woman's eyes were still closed and she seemed to have fainted. Cassandra nudged her with her boot but the woman still didn't move. Cullen knelt down to inspect the woman. She was covered in dirt but didn't look hurt- other than the eerie light blinking in her palm. He pushed back her long brown hair to look at her face and had a sharp intake of breath. His hand almost went to his sword because she must be a desire demon to be so beautiful, even with her face covered in snow and mud. He moved one of his hands to the girl's temple, drawing on his remaining Templar strength. Cassandra studied him with her hard brown eyes. He shook his head. _No, she's not a demon._

"We had better take her back and have her looked at," Cassandra said, sheathing her sword. "Especially _that_… thing," she pointed at the woman's hand, still glowing green.

Cullen stood up and turned to the troops. "Let's move out," He yelled, "But be ready- there may be more demons ahead."

He turned back to the woman in the snow and picked her up. She was cold and shivering from laying in the snow, so he wrapped his fur trimmed cloak around her. She sighed and rested her head against his armored chest.

...

Cullen just created a new pick up line. "Are you a desire demon because damn girl I want to stick my sword in you."

I AM SO SORRY (no I'm not)


	2. Chapter 2

Evelyn wakes up in a cold, dark place- a dungeon? There is a clank when she tries to move- realizing her hands and legs are chained in cold steel. The air is damp and dank. A bright green burst from her hand surprises her and she gasps, then jumps as her cell door bursts open. Two women walk through and circle her. A dark haired woman speaks, her voice low and raspy with grief as she explains that everyone who had been at the conclave was now dead. She is shocked and the voices fall away as the gravity of the situation seeps into her. How? How could this be? She felt like she was just there. She faintly remembers a loud explosion, but the memory slips through her fingers like sand when she tries to concentrate on it. The dark haired woman picks up her hand and asks for an explanation as the emerald glow returns. The other woman with the cloak over her head steps in the way saying that they needed her- asking her what she remembered. Her words are kind, but her eyes are not. Spiders, but larger than she had ever known. A woman- glowing with in the same eerie green as her hand. The two women whisper something to each other as the cloaked one leaves. The other helps her up and says that she needs to see something. Outside, snow is falling, but her eyes gaze upward at a massive green tear that goes up miles upon miles. A rift to the fade, the woman calls it, spitting out demons and growing larger with each breath. The breach crackles and her hand explodes with pain and light. The woman tells her the mark is killing her. She is suspicious, but Evelyn knows there is no way that she could have done this- even if she doesn't remember anything.

Evelyn and Cassandra are start traveling toward one of the smaller breaches, several times having to stop from either a large green glowing comet or the pain in her hand overwhelming her. When a demon starts attacking Evelyn spies a staff laying on the ground in a pile of rubble. She picked it up feeling the familiar surge of magic thrum through her veins. With a staff she feels whole again, less vulnerable. She helps kill the demon with ease. Cassandra is startled that she is a mage and tells her to drop her weapon but there is no way _that_ is happening. They come to an accord and stalk off toward the rift again. After several battles they are almost there. She can feel it in her hand. The air is thick with magic and the sound of fighting. The rift up close is… beautiful, if you can get over the fear and dread lingering in the air. An elven mage and dwarf are fighting near the rift. The elf takes her hand and pushes it toward the rift, which starts to crackle and close. The pain in her hand is immense but tolerable. She is getting used to this ache throbbing through her veins.

Cassandra, Evelyn, Varric and Solas fight their way through several more bouts of demons to close another rift, this time by herself. She takes a moment to get to feel the energy surrounding the rift- dark, swirling, screaming. The magic so potent but also so different from the magic she herself uses. In all her years in the circle, she had seen many forms of magic- her own specialty being spirit because she always thought it felt the best to wield- soft and alive, like nature, but also powerful, like nature. The crackling of lightning, the roar of fire, the chill of cold, even the raw, sharp power of blood magic when a circle mage went rogue, nothing felt like this did. She closed the rift with haste, shivering after, like it took something from her.

"I demand you place her in irons and take her to Val Royeaux to stand trial!" Chancellor Rodderick was screaming at Cassandra, spittle shooting from his mouth in rage. Evelyn felt like a chasm had opened up below her and she was just waiting to fall. Her eyes widened with terror when Cassandra comes to her aid, basically telling him to stick it. Oh thank the maker. _It feels good to have her on my side for once_, she thinks.

They continue to head for the largest breach, shining like a beacon in the sky, passing shriveled, twisted bodies petrified in positions of agony. And if that wasn't creepy enough, the rift hung like a green sun in the sky, casting its otherworldly glow on the surrounding pit. Flanked by Lelliana and her bowmen, they cautiously walk toward the massive rift.

Voices, a woman, a man, her own start spitting out of the rift. Cassandra looks aghast to hear the Divine's voice, crying for help. Evelyn is surprised to hear her own, especially when the man's voice, sinister and dark, sentences her to death. She doesn't remember anything that happened- it's all a fog shifting and shaping.

Evelyn starts to reopen the rift when an enormous pride demon materializes and laughs menacingly. She quickly uses her mark to start closing the rift, stunning the demon when it sends out a large burst of magical energy. There is a whirl of movement as everyone is fighting, magic and arrows whirring by her ears at the massive beast. She wants to move back, where her magic is most effective, but must remain close to the rift to disrupt it again. More demons are pouring out of the fade, one swiping at her side as a shock of pain follows. Evelyn moves to seal the rift for good, noticing that Varric and Solas are unconscious, laying on the ground face down. Cassandra is the only one standing and she isn't looking so well either. Evelyn sends a prayer to the maker that this will work and lifts her hand, feeling the now familiar thrum of that strange magic flowing down her arm towards that great hole in the sky. There is a huge burst of energy, so big it knocks her back and her head hits a rock. Her eyes start to close as she sees Cassandra move toward her, telling her she did it- it is done.

...

Cullen stared out at the recruits in training. They were trying their best but their best was still not good enough. Many of his men were still healing after their trek to the Temple of Sacred Ashes but Cullen couldn't let them rest as long as he would have liked. They had no way of knowing what was in store for them and had to prepare them for anything.

His mind wandered back to the woman with the mark. She had slept for days with the apostate Solas watching over her. Cullen didn't really trust the mage but he had proved useful. He thought of bringing her into that cabin and setting her gently on the bed. Solas and Adan practically pounced on her, examining her hand. Cullen was unceremoniously shoved from the room by an elven servant who helped Adan and muttered something about Elfroot. Cullen caught a glimpse of her before the door shut. They had cut her robes up to her elbow and were examining her slender arm. Her face was so peaceful despite all the commotion around her.

Cullen shook his head, trying to shake the memory and concentrate on his surroundings. There was something about that woman that made him keep thinking about her. _It could be that sparky green mark on her hand and the fact that she literally fell from the rift, but, you know._ He chuckled at his own joke. Some of his men were looking at him, lost in thought and smiling like a fool.

He cleared his throat, "Back to work! That rift isn't going to close itself!"

Later that day, a messenger came to his tent while he was writing up a report.

"Ser."

Cullen looked up at the boy clutching a note in his hands. "I'll take that. Thank you."

He sent the boy on his way and opened the note.

_She's awake. Went to the rift._

The message was in Lilliana's handwriting, scribbled in haste.

_Maker's breath, they could have at least let me join them. _Cullen thought about the sad state of his troops and how they were still barely recovered from the last trek up that mountain. She was probably right, not telling him until now because he would have insisted to come. He sighed and looked at the mountain of paperwork on his desk.


	3. Chapter 3

Cullen started from his desk when he heard a loud crack, like ice breaking. He raced from his tent and looked to the rift. It was still there, but something was different. It was calmer. He felt relief flood over him. She did it. Solas had said he thought she would be able to disrupt, even close rifts but Cullen had been skeptical. There was hope for them yet.

The party returned a half hour later. Cassandra was in the front with the woman slung haphazardly over one shoulder. Cullen spied them immediately and rushed over to help Cassandra, taking the woman from him. The party looked warn and solemn. Cassandra sighed as the weight lifted from her and looked like she too was about to keel over.

"Thank you. She is a lot heavier than she looks," Cassandra said, breathlessly.

"How did it go?"

"The rift will not be a problem now, but we will have to close it permanently once she is feeling up to it." Solas stared off into the distance, contemplating something.

"For now, we rest." Cassandra stalked off to her quarters and the rest of the group disbanded to their own respective beds.

Cullen was just left standing there with an unconscious woman, confused, looking around for someone to tell him what to do with her. When he realized they were all too tired, he walked toward her cabin.

Cullen took almost five minutes opening the door, since it was very hard to open without the use of his hands. Finally, he just threw her over his shoulder and opened the door. He heard someone step on a stick behind him and turned around. There were several people milling through the street, openly staring at him… with an unconscious woman thrown over his shoulder… practically kicking open her door… alone…. Cullen then realized how this must look, and his face heated up.

"She fell unconscious! I am just putting her in her bed!" He declared to the crowd, who seemed unamused by this response. Cullen rushed into the cabin and practically dropped her to the bed, taking a second to make sure her head was on the pillow and she was under the blankets. He rushed back out to even more onlookers staring in his direction. He shut the door loudly.

"See? Now she is in her bed!"

The crowd seemed unsure but still dispersed wearily.

"Maker's breath," Cullen muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck and making his way down to his trainees.

...

Evelyn awoke to find herself in a soft bed, the back of her head throbbing in pain. She groaned and lifted herself to the edge of the bed, gently touching the back of her head. She heard a crash and someone say they were sorry. She looked up to see a young elf servant prostrate in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were awake, I swear!"

This girl couldn't be serious, could she?

"They say you saved us. The breach stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand. You saved us! It's all anyone has been talking about for three days."

_Three days?!_ She had been asleep for three days?

The elf tells her hurriedly that Cassandra was waiting for her in the Chantry and scuttled out of the room. Evelyn takes a moment to survey her surroundings. A note on the desk has some scribbles on it about her status while she was unconscious. _Wish we could station a Templar in here, just in case._ A Templar? Her spine shivered. After her days in the circle she could do the rest of her life without seeing another Templar. She remembered one or two ones who had said kind words to her, but for the most part, they were cold, distant, and judgmental. It was their duty to make sure she didn't turn into an abomination but some took it to extremes. Then, after the mage uprising and all of the circles collapsing, even the nice ones turned on her. She remembered the moment her circle turned too. It wasn't all at once, but some mages started disappearing, then one by one there was only herself and a handful of mages left. The same thing went for the Templars, by the end there were but three left to watch them. After one of the mages turned to blood magic, the Templars were practically frothing at the bit to make her tranquil or kill her. She did her best to survive the following months on her own, harrowing though they were. She even discarded her staff to make her less of a target, but somehow Templars always knew.

She tried to shrug off the bad memories, after all, this was a bit of a new start, even if it hasn't turned out the way she had hoped. She was determined to stay optimistic. At least she didn't wake up in chains this time.

She looked around a bit more- she had always been a bit of a snoop and on occasion she had been known to loot some bodies. _I mean, it's not like they're using it,_ she thought to herself.

Evelyn left the house to find a frosty breeze cool her cheeks. This place, Haven the elf called it, smelled of cold and campfires. There were dozens of people standing around, whispering as she walked by.

"That's her! That's the Herald of Andraste." She heard someone murmur to a companion. She looked around to see who this Herald of Andraste was, but then she realized they were talking about _her._

"They say she closed the rift!"

"They say when she walked out of the fade, Andraste herself was behind her."

She had to get away from all of this, clear her head. It was all a bit much for just waking up from a three day coma. She practically ran toward the Chantry, closing the door with a sigh on the other side. What was to await her when she saw Cassandra? She assumed Leliana would be there as well. She took a deep breath and walked to the end of the hallway to what she assumed was some sort of headquarters. She could tell she was right when she heard Chancellor Rodderick yelling about taking her to trial again. She had hoped that closing the breach would prove that she was innocent. Maybe… maybe she could still escape? She could run for the hills… and do what? Hide out with all of the other apostate mages again? She couldn't go back to that life- that was why she was at the conclave to begin with- in hopes of bettering the life for herself and all the other mages. No, she couldn't run away from this. They said she was important and she could close the rifts. Evelyn squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

"Chain her! I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial." Chancellor Rodderick was looking especially grumpy today.

"Disregard that, and leave us." Cassandra said to the guards behind her. A breath she didn't know she had been holding escaped her lips.

Chancellor Rodderick and Cassandra bickered a little before she said she believed Evelyn was innocent.

"So you changed your mind about me" She asked, bewildered.

"I was wrong. Perhaps I still am" Cassandra replied. There was a kindness to her face that Evelyn had never seen. Perhaps, she would be a friend, but only time would tell. And this trial they keep speaking about. She would really prefer them to _not_ send her to her death in Val Royeaux, but that may just be personal preference.

Evelyn wasn't paying attention to what they were saying until Cassandra slammed a large book onto the table.

"As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn."

_Inquisition? Now what was this all about?_ She stopped paying attention again while Leliana said something about having no leader, allies, or chantry support. That didn't sound very good. So what exactly were they?

"We must act now. With you at our side."

"When I woke up, I certainly didn't picture this outcome," Evelyn said.

"Neither did we," Leliana retorted.

Cassandra put out her hand, "Help us fix this before it's too late."

Evelyn looked at her hand for a second, still trying to think if it was too late to bolt. In the end, Cassandra's stern yet pleading eyes forced her to reach her hand out to meet Cassandra's.


	4. Chapter 4

Cassandra called a meeting of the council early the next day. Too early if you asked her. She walked groggily to the war room, as they were now calling it. Cassandra and Leliana were already there, looking over a large, aged map with all of Thedas on it. There were two new people as well. Cassandra introduced Josephine, a beautiful Antivan woman in bright silks, quill in hand, as the liaison. Then she introduced Commander Cullen and her heart stopped. Templar. She could tell just from the way he held himself. He wasn't in his Templar armor but she knew. And she could tell he knew she was a mage. Just as he held out his hand to shake hers, he stopped. He gave a sidelong glance to Cassandra and she imperceptibly nodded her head. He seemed to resign himself to his fate and fully extended his arm. Evelyn took a step back, still wondering if it was too late to run. Cassandra seemed to sense this reaction and gave a slight push to her back in his direction. She took a deep breath and met his hand.

"Um, nice to meet you," She said, voice a little shaky.

"You as well," He said stiffly.

As the meeting went on, Cullen seemed to lighten up a little. He even some good advice on what the Inquisition needed to do next. Despite knowing Cassandra and Leliana were present, she found it hard to concentrate on anything they were saying. Something about finding a Mother Giselle and gaining her support. Evelyn knew it was going to be hard to be in this close of proximity to a Templar given her history with them. He seemed agreeable enough, but so did other Templars she had known. They may act nice to you in front of others, but when you were alone, they were all sharp tongues and commands.

They were looking at her expectantly. Uh-oh. She had missed something again. What were they saying before she got lost in her memories?

"What should we do, Herald?" Cassandra looked at her, then rested her hands against the table, looking at the map.

"So _I'm_ supposed to figure out what to do?" Evelyn said in bewilderment. "Just a few days ago I was in the dungeons in chains."

"The people look to you as the Herald on Andraste," Cassandra said matter-of-factly.

Evelyn winced at the title but tried to put on as brave a face as possible in front of all these people, watching her expectantly.

"I guess we should… scout the Hinterlands?'

Cassandra nodded in approval.

…

Cullen was unsure of what just happened. He had been standing in the war room with the others when the "Herald" as they are now calling her meekly opened the door and stepped in. Cullen eyed her as she was introduced to everyone. This was the first time he had ever seen her awake and she held herself with poise, though by the slight slump of her shoulders he could tell she was overwhelmed and unsure in the face of the inquisition. Her eyes were a gray-blue color, but bright nonetheless. Her hair, which until previously had been a tangle of brown locks, was combed to the side and braided along a shaved portion of her head. She was still very beautiful, though he had not expected that to change. She wore dark blue robes, with leathers over her arms and stomach, cinching the fabric close to show the curves of her slender waist and hips. She had equipped a dark, polished wooden staff at her back. Wait. A staff? A mage? Cullen suddenly grew uneasy.

Cassandra's throat cleared, "And this is Commander Cullen."

He absently offered his hand, looking to Cassandra. _You sure about her?_ Cullen asked her mentally. She slightly nodded at the unasked question. If Cassandra was sure, then so was he. He trusted Cassandra's judgment implicitly. He turned to look at the Herald who gulped and took his proffered hand. Cullen felt the warmth of her skin through his gloves. He absently wondered if the rest of her skin was as warm as her hand.

"Nice to meet you," she stammered.

Cullen was finding it difficult to concentrate on her words. "You as well," he said, before he realized they had been holding hands far longer than was polite. That mixed with the thought that all her skin must be as smooth and warm as her hand made him yank his arm back quickly and clear his throat. He pretended to consider the map on the table but he knew it did little to hide the red creeping up his cheeks.

…

The whole party started discussing movements and who should go where. Evelyn just stood back, unsure of what to do. Soon, the meeting was over and people were leaving. Thank the maker. She had just enough time to sneak back to her room, hoping no one would bother her. She leaned her body against the closed door and sunk to the floor. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, but she never expected there to be Templars here. She should have known better- Templars seemed to be everywhere these days. But part of the council? Maybe they had called him in to keep an eye on her like the letter had stated. Whatever it was, she was planning on keeping her distance.


	5. Chapter 5

Evelyn was so done with the Hinterlands. She came back to Haven with Mother Giselle, a horsemaster, and enough Elfroot to heal the whole camp. She immediately went to her quarters to feel what it was like to have a bed that wasn't a roll on the cold ground. She sighed with contentment to feel the linen bedsheets and laid her head down. _Just a short rest_, she told herself.

She awoke with a start to a knock on her door. She jolted out of bed, robes askew and noticed it was now dark outside. How long had she been asleep? The knocking intensified.

"Just a minute," she grumbled as she tried to tame her unruly brown hair and smooth the creases out of her clothes.

She opened the door to a sheepish looking Commander Cullen. She was taken aback, since he was the last person she had expected, or wanted, at her door. All too reminiscent of her days in the circle.

"Cassandra is expecting us at a meeting in the war room. She sent me to wake you."

"Oh, ok. I will be there in a minute." She was silently throwing a temper tantrum in her brain. _One night of sleep! Is that too much to ask?! _She stood there for a second, staring at Cullen, and when he didn't leave she realized that he wasn't to be shaken so easily. She pursed her lips and turned back to her room. She grabbed her staff and secured it to her back. "Alright, let's go."

Commander Cullen eyed her staff cautiously but said nothing. They walked together in silence for a while, heading to the Chantry. She coughed as her lungs acclimated to the cold, dry weather again.

"What?" Cullen asked, startled.

"What?" She replied, "I didn't say anything."

"Oh," muttered, uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck.

_Oh Maker guide me,_ Evelyn thought. This was going to be awkward. It seemed that he felt equally as uncomfortable as she, probably for the same reason.

When they made it to the war room, a sigh of relief came over her as she saw the rest of the council members. They all started arguing over what to do next and she just watched. They all expectantly looked at her for council as to their next move. She gave them all duties even though the Commander didn't seemed very pleased to be sent to gather resources from the Hinterlands. She just didn't trust him. He may seem innocuous but she could just never trust a Templar.

She tried to slip back to her room undetected for some more sleep but was caught by Varric on her way by.

"Now that Cassandra is out of earshot, how are you holding up?"

Evelyn liked Varric- he was always nice to her. Not to mention funny- which was a huge plus on his side. Cassandra was tolerable now that she wasn't hounding Evelyn as much, and Solas was just a little creepy. She wasn't sure why she thought that, but something about him just didn't sit right with her. But Varric was always jovial and made her laugh. During their Hinterlands tour he would sometimes sit next to her by the fireside and tell her stories about his misadventures with the Champion of Kirkwall and friends. He always seemed to put her in a better mood.

"I'm fine- it's just all a little much. Suddenly I'm the Herald of Andraste and people are watching my every move. It's just all a little… unnerving."

"I know what you mean," he responded chuckling to himself. "How are things with the councilors?"

"Well, Cassandra's not all that bad, once she's on your team," Varric seemed to think that funny, slapping his knee with mirth. "Leliana scares me a little, like she knows much more about you than even you do."

"I have a feeling she does," Varric interjected.

"Josephine seems really nice. But, the Templar…" She trailed off, looking worried.

"Cullen? He's not nearly as scary as Cassandra, or even Leliana. You should try to talk to him. He is an ex-Templar, by the way. He left the order after what happened in Kirkwall."

Evelyn seemed taken aback by that. Ex-Templar? Could they even do that? "I thought they were part of the order for life?"

"Well, with what's happening all across Thedas with Templars and mages, stranger things have happened." Varric gave her an encouraging smile. "I'll let you get back to things."

"Thanks Varric."

Evelyn wandered back to her room, thinking on what Varric had said. Maybe she should try to give him a chance. It only seemed fair since he was giving her one.

…

Cullen sat on a barstool in the tavern, sipping a beer and trying to forget how unbelievable awkward his encounter with the Herald had been earlier. Every time he saw her, even when she had a little bit of drool from sleeping on the corner of her mouth, he was taken breathless by her beauty. Cullen had stared at her mouth for maker knows how long before he had caught himself. Her lips were plump and pink and just begging to be kissed. Cullen tried to banish the memory with a shake of his head, chastising himself.

Cassandra had asked him to gather the Herald on his way to the war room and Cullen hadn't been sure if he was happy or scared at the concept. He was confused, definitely very confused when it came to the Herald. Yes, she was a mage but she was also the Herald and practically the leader of the Inquisition right now. He had been around plenty of mages, but they still always set him a little on edge- he knew what they could become. He was much more comfortable now than he had been in the past- especially after the incident in the Ferelden Circle. But Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, had been a mage and an amazing, albeit slightly intense, person. But he would still call Hawke a friend. Maybe he could even call the Herald a friend one day too.

Just then, Cullen heard uproarious laughter coming through the open window to his right. He glanced out to see the Herald doubled over in laughter and Varric wiping his eyes and clutching a stitch in his side. The firelight was dancing off her face, which was split with a grin. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear as she squeezed Varric's shoulder and walked toward her cabin. Cullen couldn't help but watch her walk away, her hips swaying with each step. Her backside was perky and plump.

Cullen hurriedly looked away, appalled at his own thoughts, yet again. He was the Commander of the forces, and if one beautiful woman could be so distracting to him, he might as well just give up now.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a stir at the Chantry gates as Evelyn drew near. A mage and Templar seemed to be arguing in the midst of the crowd. Evelyn wanted to step in but she had grown weary of all the fighting between the two. She guessed she should do something since she held a position of some sort of power, but just as she was about to interject the Commander stepped in.

"Enough!" He interjected, commandingly.

"Knight Commander!" The Templar almost reverently replied.

"That is not my title. We are _not_ Templars any longer. We are _all_ part of the inquisition!"

Was it just her, or did he look, like, really attractive right now? No, no, no she can't think about that- not right now. But maybe later. She banished the thought from her mind as Chancellor Rodderick, of course, showed up.

"And what does that mean exactly?"

"Back already, Chancellor? Haven't you done enough?"

Chancellor Rodderick swept his arm across the crowd. "I'm curious, Commander, as to how your Inquisition and it's 'Herald'," he pointedly looked at her, "will restore order as you've promised."

"Of course you are," the Commander spat. "Back to your duties, all of you," he said to the crowd. "Mages and Templars were already at war. Now they're blaming each other for the Divine's death."

Rodderick folded his arms behind his back. "Which is why we require a _proper,_" he pointedly looked at her again, "authority to guide them back to order."

The two of the bickered for some time before she couldn't stand it any longer and walked into the chantry. The Commander seemed to be on her side though, well, at least the side of the Inquisition, if they were one and the same. She still wondered though, maybe Varric was right, maybe he wasn't one of the bad ones.

After her meeting at the war table, all of her councilors agreed that she needed to take her party to Val Royeaux to either suppress Chantry slander or gain the Templars- as unsavory as it sounded.

"Having the Herald address the clerics is not a terrible idea," Josephine stated.

"You can't be serious," Cullen argued, stalking around the room. He seemed as uncomfortable with this opinion as she did.

"And we should ignore the danger to the Herald," Leliana retorted.

"Let's ask her," Josephine said, seeming to be the only one to even notice Evelyn in the room.

She was taken aback for a second before replying, "This seems like a terrible plan."

"I agree," the Commander said, vehemently.

Evelyn was unsure why the Commander was so against this. Did he think she would do badly and condemn them all in the eyes of the Chantry?

"I will go with her," Cassandra stated, backing her into a corner. Now it seemed she couldn't get out of it. Leliana and the Commander seemed to have reservations about this mission, but Cassandra stood tall, assuring everyone this was the best decision.

Evelyn huffed. Well, it looks like they are going to Val Royeaux.

…

Evelyn returned days later from Val Royeaux with no Templars (thank the Maker), no chantry support, and one very loud, very confusing elven rogue named Sara. Oh, and also another icy circle mage who seemed really into politics. Evelyn hated politics. But all were welcome to the Inquisition, apparently. She was feeling a lot more confident in her role as the decision maker now. And it seemed that every time she returned with new Inquisition members. She had a ridiculous image of herself coming back from Val Royeaux, kicking open the gate doors with her boot, Vivienne and Sara under each arm just to announce her arrival. She imagined herself dropping their bodies in a heap on the steps of Haven and taking a bow to the cheering crowd, who were, of course, throwing flowers at her feet. She giggled to herself because she liked to think she was pretty funny. At least in her head. She doubted such flawless execution in reality.

She was beginning to feel like she belonged more and more- even though she spent only a few days at a time in Haven. It felt like home to her. Even the people were warmer with her. It was so different to the way it was for her in the circle- at least here she was allowed to come and go as she pleased. She felt like she belonged here, more so than she ever felt in the circle. People greeted her warmly, asked her opinion and actually valued her. Not just as the Herald, but as a person.

"Herald," a woman bowed to her as their procession made its way to the stables.

Evelyn smiled to her and waved. She could get used to this. Maybe she could ask someone to do her paperwork, or give her a back rub. Yes she could definitely get used to this.

The sun was setting beautifully, casting a pinkish hue on Haven. She wearily walked up the steps toward the tavern. She could use a warm meal and a beer. Mostly the beer though- Val Royeaux had been very trying.

Evelyn ended up drinking a little too much and dragged herself back to her cabin. She slumped onto her bed and tried to fall asleep. She tossed and turned for a few minutes before giving up. It was too stuffy in here. Too quiet. She gathered her blankets around her shoulders and made her way out of her room.

…

Cullen was walking along a now familiar path, worn down by his previous footfalls. His nighttime strolls to clear his head were becoming more frequent now that he was no longer taking lyrium. The nightmares had returned, making it hard for him to want to sleep. So instead he worked and walked. His favorite path was to walk the outermost wall of Haven. It was so quiet and peaceful. The hoot of an owl, the scurry of some small creature. It almost made him forget about the war he was fighting, not just physically, but mentally as well. He stopped for a minute just to breathe in the fresh air. He heard a faint rumble coming from the wall to his right. He spied a large, dark shape at the top of the wall. Thinking it was some sort of animal, he traveled to the nearest ladder and climbed.

There was a figure in a heap, definitely human, laying on the wall of Haven. He approached cautiously, not knowing what to expect. The closer he got though, the more unmistakable the sound was- snoring. Someone was sleeping there, in a pile of blankets from the looks of it. He stepped closer and poked at the blankets with a finger.

"Nguuuugh," was the response.

Wait a second, he knew that voice. Cullen lifted a corner of the blankets to reveal the Herald, quite soundly asleep. When her face was exposed to the moonlight one of her eyes cracked open.

"Ugh, close the door. I'm trying to sleep here," she grumbled and rolled over, covering herself in more blankets.

"Um, Lady Herald? Do you know you're asleep on the wall? Outside?"

"Yes, yes, yes," she replied sleepily, wagging her hand at him.

"But… why?"

"The unicorns dared me to," she said, very matter-of-factly.

Cullen had to stifle a snicker. Well, he couldn't just leave her hear. She would freeze to death in this cold weather. She also, very obviously, wasn't planning on waking up either. She seemed to be in a perpetual state of unconsciousness when they were alone. He gently picked her up, trying not to wake her. She shifted in his arms and rested her body flush against his. Her cheeks were pink from the cold air, her lips slightly parted. Cullen flushed when he thought about how incredibly kissable she looked right now. Then his flush deepened when he realized how ungentlemanly he was being.

He found a set of stairs leading down into Haven on the other side of the wall not far away. He carried her back to her cabin and set her down in her bed.

"Mmmm. That's nice," she purred, sprawling out in her blankets, which had lifted up her robes slightly to show the pale, flawless skin of her taught stomach.

Cullen inhaled sharply and quickly turned around. He left the room without looking back, as much as he wanted to. It's like she was tormenting him on purpose. She was unbelievably beautiful, but most importantly she was the Herald of Andraste. She was here on a greater mission than riling him up.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, she awoke with a start to find herself lying in her warm, cozy bed. She remembered dragging her blankets to the top of the town wall, but she didn't remember returning to her cabin. She must have had more to drink than she thought.

The dawn had just started to break and she heard few noises outside her window. She tried to go back to sleep, but it was evading her. She grumbled as she dressed into her robes and splashed her face with cold water from a basin by her bed. She plucked an apple from her stores and set out to find a nice vantage to watch the sun rise. She sat down on the wall near her door, chewing her apple thoughtfully. Things seemed so different now. She could almost say Varric and Cassandra were friends, at least the closest she's had since the mage rebellion. She could see the Commander was just getting to his post outside the gates, greeting Cassandra, then lining up his new charges. He looked up then to see her perched on the wall, watching him. She realized how she must look and tried to will herself invisible. She was a mage, she could always fade step her way out of here. But no, he had already seen her, so she gave an awkward half wave to him. Her half eaten apple flew out of her hand and into the dirt on the other side of the wall. Damn, she wasn't done with that. She looked back up and she could swear she saw the hint of a smile on his lips before she ducked back down the ladder to find a new breakfast.

After breakfast she visited with Varric, avoided Solas, and found herself wandering around the outside of the gate. Clashing swords and bashing shields met her. She saw the Commander giving orders to the new recruits and Cassandra beating the stuffing out of a straw dummy. She bee lined it over to Cassandra to talk a little. They had made some small talk on their adventures in the Hinterlands, but had never really gotten a good chance to talk with her alone. They talked about her family, why she joined the Inquisition, and what she was hoping to accomplish.

After exhausting her time, Cassandra implied that Evelyn must have more important things to do. _Oh please keep talking to me,_ she thought,_ I don't want to talk to the Templar._ After lingering for a moment she made up her mind. It was now or never. _Just talk to him_, Varric said. She mentally stuck her tongue out at Varric before steeling herself and turning in his direction.

The Commander was speaking with an advisor, "You there! There's a shield in your hand. Block with it. If this man were your enemy, you would be dead." He turned back around.

The Commander was reading a report given to him by one of his assistants. Varric's advice rang in her mind. She cautiously walked up to him, clearing her throat. He looked up, taken aback by her standing in front of him. He recovered quickly, folding his arms over his chest.

"We've received a number of recruits- locals from Haven and some pilgrims. None made _quite_ the entrance you did," his lips, slightly upturned in a small smile.

"At least I got everyone's attention," she parroted his smile back at him.

"That you did," he replied unthinkingly. His face reddened moderately and seemed taken aback by the words that escaped his lips.

Evelyn was also surprised by what he said. Was he _flirting_ with her?

Cullen quickly recovered, and started to walk and talk. "I was recruited to the Inquisition in Kirkwall, myself. I was there during the mage uprising- I saw firsthand the devastation it caused. Cassandra sought a solution."

"Ser," a messenger was following them with a clipboard.

Without even missing a beat in the conversation, the Commander glanced at the clipboard and scribbled something, dismissing the man.

"When she offered me a position, I left the Templars to join her cause. Now it seems we face something far worse."

So he truly was no longer a Templar. Evelyn still wasn't sold on the Commander but Varric seemed to have been right. He was a nice enough man even if he was a glorified drill sergeant. There was no reason for her to be unpleasant with him, maybe she could even be her mage-y self.

"The Conclave destroyed, a giant hole in the sky- things aren't looking so good," she quipped.

"Which is why we're needed. The Chantry lost control of both Templars and mages. Now they argue over a new Divine while the Breach remains. The Inquisition could act when the Chantry cannot. Our followers would be part of that. There's so much we can-," he shook his head. "Forgive me. I doubt you came here for a lecture."

Evelyn hadn't, but he did make a point. His outlook was optimistic, more so than many of her advisors. "No, but if you have one prepared, I'd love to hear it." She playfully quirked an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled. "Another time perhaps."

She flashed an innocent smile at him, jokingly.

He stared at her for a second, seemingly now realizing they were flirting. "I, ah…," he stammered, clearing his throat, but smiling back at her all the same.

"Commander! Ser Rylen has a report on our supply lines," another messenger interjected, walking up to them.

"As I was saying," he replied to her with a smirk and strutted off.

Uh oh. Oh no. Oh no. He was adorable. The last person she would ever find attractive, a Templar- well EX Templar, was absolutely and totally dreamy.

…

Cullen was so wrapped up in his role as Commander that he realized he was probably boring the poor Herald. "Forgive me. I doubt you came here for a lecture."

She had an impish smile on her face when she said, "No, but if you have one prepared, I'd love to hear it."

Wait, was she flirting with him? That sounded like flirting. "I, ah…," his hand itched to rub the back of his neck. The Herald was _definitely _flirting with him, but it must be as a joke. Some sort of game she played with others to make them uncomfortable. Well, it was working. The least he could do was play the game. He grinned back at her. A messenger approached with a fresh report.

"As I was saying," he smiled at her slyly and turned away.

_I wonder if I won_. He attempted a glance at her while he read his report. She was still standing there, staring at him with her cheeks rosy, mouth slightly agape. He arched an eyebrow at her. Her flush deepened and she retreated back to Haven. _It seems I am victorious_. Of what though, he wasn't sure.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day was all war room meetings and paperwork. Evelyn had never done paperwork in her life and she realized she never wanted to again. Josephine gave her a stack so large she didn't know what to do with. On the bright side, it made a great place to store the fruit she pilfered from the food stores. Maybe she could just put her robes around the stack and sneak out the back. She bet no one would even notice the difference. She giggled to herself, suddenly giddy. This was going to be fun. She uncinched the leathers she wore around her waist and started to wriggle her robe over her head.

That was when she heard the door open and a man's voice. "Josephine asked me to run this to you quickly before you got too- Maker's breath!"

Evelyn quickly folded her robes back down to find a wide eyed, thoroughly embarrassed Commander standing in front of her.

"I am so sorry," he began to stammer, face very red, looking pointedly at the floor. "I should have knocked. I just didn't think- I just saw you enter…"

Evelyn was still in shock that he had just seen her, half undressed, fully prepared to put her clothes on a stack of papers to sneakily frolic out in a meadow somewhere. She opened her mouth to say- something- anything to make this long awkward silence stop. But instead of words, she broke out into laughter. It started as a nervous laugh, but morphed into a full on laugh attack that had her wheezing and crying and unable to stand. She fell onto the floor, clutching her stomach and laughing through the stitch.

When she was finally able to stop she looked up at a bewildered and slightly amused looking Commander. She stood up, wiping her eyes and sniffling a little.

"Oh Maker, thank you. I needed that."

"I'm sorry… what? I feel like I missed something."

"Well you didn't miss seeing me get undressed," she insinuated with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Cullen's face went violently red, all the way to the tips of his ears. His hand came up to rub the back of his neck, which started to happen a lot when she was with him. It was almost sort of endearing. He cleared his throat.

"I am really sorry. I should probably… leave," he said as he almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to flee.

Evelyn laughed to herself as she watched him scurry out the gates of Haven, rubbing the back of his neck the whole way.

…

The woods were especially quiet today. The quiet rustle of leaves was all he heard other than his own boots crunching in the snow. Cullen followed his path around the perimeter of Haven contemplating his long day. Regrettably, his mind could not stop returning to the Herald. Her robes halfway over her head, showing him the pale, smooth skin of her stomach. He saw the bottom of the leathers holding in her breasts and he imagined slipping the ties that held it together to release her full chest to his gaze. He saw his hand travel the distance from her hip to cup one of her pert- _Oh Maker, I need to stop this_. He could feel the desire building in his groin and groaned.

He thought a nice, cold walk in the snow would make him forget what he had only glanced, but it seems he was mistaken. Maybe a nice cold shower would work better.

There was suddenly a ping next to his ear as something small was deflected by the armor on his shoulder. Looking atop the wall where the something came from he saw a pile of cloth and two legs dangling over the edge. The Herald's face appeared shortly after the ping, peering down at him.

"Oops, sorry Commander. Didn't know you were down there."

"It's quite alright. What did you just throw at me?"

"You'll have to come up here to find out," she said with a grin, her face disappearing from view.

Cullen grumbled as he walked toward the same ladder he climbed just the other day when he found her asleep here. He was trying to get her out of his mind, not have a midnight rendezvous with her. She was covered in the blankets from her bed and when she saw him coming, she fished something out of them. She held her hand out to him, filled with cherries.

"Where did you get those?"

"I acquired a merchant from Val Royeaux and she brought me a gift! Would you like one?" She was beaming, as if it was the best present she had ever received.

"Oh, I don't want to take them if-"

She cut him off, "What is the point of having something if you can't share it with a friend?"

"Well-I-uh," he stammered.

She rolled her eyes at him and took his hand, placing a few of the dark red berries in his palm. He eagerly popped one in his mouth to keep himself from having to talk.

"Maker these are good," he muttered, spitting a seed over the wall. "Oh, now I see what hit me."

She just grinned at him and put another cherry in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. They sat in silence for a few minutes, chewing and launching cherry pits into the snow.

"You traveled some distance to reach Haven. You're from the circle in Ostwick?" He asked her, breaking their companionable silence.

"I was. It's exciting- being away from that life. Being somewhere new… Maybe that's selfish given what's happened," she looked down at her hands, smudged with cherry juice.

"No, it's… only fair I suppose. We _are_ grateful for your assistance."

She chuckled, "And I am grateful the Inquisition took me in. If it wasn't for Cassandra I would probably have been sent to some Val Royeax prison."

"I don't think anyone here would have let that happen. Especially not to their Herald," he said, turning and looking at her.

She winced at the phrase, "Please, not you too. I feel that if I don't put a stop to these names they will get worse and worse. Pretty soon people will be calling me the prophet, or the sorcerer. Actually I kind of like that last one. You could start calling me that- it might catch on," she joked, with a quirk of her lips.

Cullen grimaced, "I don't think I will call you the sorcerer."

"Okay, well then how about Evelyn? None of this Herald business," She quipped, turning back around to face the wilderness beyond the wall.

Cullen smiled warmly to himself, "That I think I can do, Evelyn." The name felt strange on his lips, saying it for the first time.

"Thank you- Cullen." She turned her face and beamed at him.

Cullen felt his insides grow warm. He wanted to reach out and touch her- put his hand on hers, brush the stray lock of hair out of her face, kiss her…

He cleared his throat and stood up, extending his hand to her. "It is rather late, and you probably don't want to fall asleep out here again."

She took his hand and stood. Her fingers were warm from being under the blanket.

"What do you mean _again?"_

"Oh- did you not? Do you not remember? You fell asleep here a few nights past. I carried you back to your room since you did not seem to be in the mood to wake."

She blushed and looked at her feet. "Oh, I thought maybe that had been a dream. I'm sorry."

"It was no problem," he interjected. "Just don't go making a habit of it. We can't have our Herald- you," he quickly corrected at her scowl, "go dying of cold."

She laughed and fake saluted him, "Yes ser!"

He smirked as she goose stepped down the stairs on Haven side of the wall. He left the encounter beaming to himself. He secretly hoped she wouldn't listen to him. He definitely _could_ make a habit of this.


End file.
